Question
For some reason this year my Hydrangeas blooms are brown. I notice that the ones down the street are also brown. I have had the lawn sprayed with iron and various weed pre-emergents. Could it be leaching into the flowers? The stalks of the plants seem quite thin and fragile, not as big as they were last year.

Answer
Dear Jeanne,
 When having your lawn sprayed it is always a good idea to cover the shrubs and other plants you don't want affected.  I use the really cheap plastic you get for painting.  Get it all over the shrub and tie it at the base of the stems with a string.
 It sounds like your plants may need some fertilizer also.  I use Millorganite, an organic fertilizer, but not available in all states.  I also use "Epsom Salts" on all my plants about once a month.  This helps strengthen their limbs and stems.  I dilute it in buckets of water--try to keep an eye out for it on sale throughout the year-$1 for a 4lb. box is a great price.  The dollar stores have it too.

Sijka